Since moving abroad, I’m not always up on the latest “thing”. At a week or so away from turning 32, I don’t expect myself to be all that in-the-know, but thanks to Pinterest and Facebook and blogging, occasionally I notice that I’ve completely missed something has become very popular. I think Gangnam Style had 500 million youtube views before I saw it. Months ago we had visitors from the US (hi Alyssa!) who schooled us on hashtagging and the meaning of YOLO. This week I only just became aware of the obsession with all things zombie. (What is that about by the way?)
In the Bangkok of 2013, I can’t blame all of my cluelessness on living abroad. Many people here have smartphones, so I could certainly be on Instagram or Twitter or WhatsApp. (I had to google the spelling on that last one.) Even though it is a choice not to use every social media platform, there’s no avoiding the sense that I’m occasionally missing out. The temptation to always be hitting the “share” button on some social media platform or another seems to have come with my decision to start a blog, but the truth is, that’s not the right thing for me. At least not for now.
On Saturday, Frank came back from a two-week work trip to Burma. We had the most gloriously quiet few days after his return. We met friends for dinner, watched movies, drank a shocking amount of hot tea on our couch, and spent a night after work lounging in the pool while it turned from dusk to dark. Apart from a skype call or two with our families and editing a scheduled blog post, for days, all of our communication was done in person.
Weeks like this one remind me how restorative it can be to step away from the computer and, in my case, away from the camera. Today is Frank’s birthday. My amazing husband needs no prompting to appreciate special moments, good conversation, artistic expression, or the value of slowing down. He seeks these things without effort and embraces them fully. It’s simply who he is. As such, tonight we’ll have a celebratory dinner, without a single thing to distract us. (Except, perhaps, if you count Frank’s requested birthday dinner of sliders and onion straws.)
I’m unlikely to ever get on board with the zombie trend. The jury is still out on Twitter.
But Sriracha? Although this spicy chili sauce is far from new, its super trendy use in all sorts of foods is something I can get behind. Lately it’s all over Pinterest – on popcorn, in salad dressing, as a marinade for chicken, combined with chocolate, and drizzled over pizza. It makes for some really fantastic roasted sweet and spicy cashews as well.
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Sriracha sauce (such as Huy Fong)
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
- 3 kaffir lime leaves, minced (see note)
- 1 and ½ cups raw cashews
- 1 Tablespoon white sesame seeds
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a very small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, Sriracha sauce and ginger. Heat over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar melts, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the kaffir lime leaves.
- Pour the cashews into a mixing bowl. Drizzle the sugar mixture over the cashews and stir well to evenly coat them. Add the sesame seeds and stir again to combine.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the cashews out on the parchment paper and bake until crisp, 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely before transferring to a bowl to serve.
Love the hot stuff? Here are some more creative ways to use it!
Sriracha Caramel Corn by Domestic Fits
Creamy Sriracha Pasta Bake by Bake Your Day
Slow-Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken by Foodie with Family
Roasted Garlic and Sriracha Hummus by Olives for Dinner
Sriracha Mayo – we use it a couple times a month for these well-loved Chicken Banh Mi Sandwiches with Sriracha Mayo!
I love these kinds of snacks! I made sriracha soy almonds last year and I literally crave them. I can’t wait to try these!
Cassie | Bake Your Day recently posted..Red Potato Hash
Me too, Cassie – sweet and spicy is totally my thing! Sriracha soy almonds – amazing!!!
#greatpost #thanksforthelinklove #happybirthdaytofrizzy #missyouguys #amyandistilltalkinhashtags 😉
Alyssa {Suitcases & Sweets} recently posted..Bonus Post: M’s Mud Cake
YOLO!
Happy Birthday Frank! Hope you enjoy your sliders. From memory, last year’s looked pretty good so I’d be looking forward to them.
I often need reminding to slow down. Funny that I just read a blog post from someone else about switching off and then read yours. Hmm… is that a sign?
Maybe I’ll make a batch of nuts and curl up with a book?
Claire @ Claire K Creations recently posted..Cake smashing
Love this recipe. I am very unhip—-don’t FB or tweet and just started with Pinterest. I guess with the exception of my blog, I like a bit of real face time too (or anonymity)! (I just looked up YOLO, btw.). LOL
Debra recently posted..Amuse-bouche and an Italian Compote
I’m a big fan of “shutting off” every once in a while – it does wonders! I’m an even bigger fan of sriracha & these cashews look like a must-try treat! Lovely photos too!
Meghan recently posted..Biscoff Pretzel M&M Cookies
Oh my goodness… this is like the ultimate snack!
The ingredient list itself makes me drool!
ps: Happy Birthday, Frank!!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com recently posted..How-To: Mungbean Sprouts
My husband would absolutely love this! He puts sriracha on a LOT of things … sometimes more like dumps it on top of things haha And happy birthday to your husband!!
Ashley recently posted..Blueberry Peanut Butter Smoothie
Made for hubby – he LOVED them. Then… I tried them… wow – addictive! I highly recommend finding the kaffir leaves – they definitely add that distinctive Thai flavor. I found them at a local international market.
Cherie! Thanks so much for stopping in to let me know! I’m SO glad you tracked down the kaffir lime leaves – I agree that they really do give these that unmistakable Thai flavor.
I could eat my weight in these.
Oh Val…I believe I may have. 😉
Honestly, I don’t know how anyone keeps up with all the trends these days! I don’t watch tv and I can’t even keep up with twitter and google reader. Anyway, these cashews look killer. And now that I think about it, sriracha does seem like a trendy hot sauce lately. Love the stuff.
Cookie and Kate recently posted..Ginger Beer Concentrate
I am in love with the flavors and spices u have added in this cashews… I cannot wait to make this soon. Looks absolutely mouthwatering with ur lovely pictures.
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Been pining away to make these since I saw them a couple weeks ago on Pinterest. However, my sauce turned out more pasty so having trouble evenly spreading it over the cashews–or spreading at all. Argh. Did I overheat the sauce?? Advice on how to fix? Thanks- if I get this right, I know they’ll be deeeelish!
Oh no, Adrie – I’m so sorry to hear this! I think you’re right, that the problem probably had to do with the heating time for the sauce – either too short or too long. Just cook the sauce until the sugar is completely melted and the mixture is nice and smooth, but no longer. I do hope you’ll give it another try, Adrie – this is one of our favorites!